- Mar 7, 2018
Updated: Feb 18, 2021
Run by the UK-based website and data service Retail Week, this annual event brings together innovators and world-leaders in retail to share compelling content via a mix of speeches, interviews, workshops and boardroom discussions. Smartzer spent two days pitching and networking with major brands and innovators, discussing solutions for the rapid changes facing retailers in the digital age.
One of the stages at Retail Week Live is Launchpad, dedicated to introducing retail experts with start-ups. For the second time, Smartzer was chosen as one of the 20 most disruptive retail technologies and asked to present our game-changing solution to the event’s top retailers. Smartzer founder Karoline Gross, presented the Smartzer concept to a panel of judges including David Hennessy, CIO of Superdry and Dan Saunders of L Marks.
After an impressive first pitch, Smartzer made it to the final round and was able to pitch before finalist judges on the finale stage. Karoline persuasively explained how retail brands can utilize their video content to engage customers and drive more sales. Smartzer was shortlisted as one of the top three finalists. It was an honor to be chosen not only as one of Retail Week’s revolutionary start-ups but was especially exciting to get runner-up in the competition.
Other than our wonderful experience pitching on the Launchpad start-up stage, we enjoyed networking with big retailers such as Tesco and Shop Direct at our stand in the exhibition hall. It was an excellent way to meet with retail industry experts on an individual basis, showing them new system capabilities and discussing our 2018 road map.
- Feb 16, 2018
Updated: Feb 17, 2021
On the eve of London Fashion Week, the Smartzer team was invited to attend FashMash Pioneers, hosted by FashMash a global community uniting pioneering minds from fashion, digital and technology. Founded by Rachel Arthur and Rosanna Falconer, FashMash is comprised of 500 leaders across retail, tech, VC, start-ups and agencies. FashMash Pioneers is a brand-new annual program of talks featuring visionaries dissecting the future of the fashion industry, intent on inspiring the community and the next generation.
The future of fashion is increasingly intelligent. In the past heritage brands could rely on their name and craftsmanship to secure a competitive advantage, now in order to find an edge in the market, brands need to use consumer data to create relevant and personalized shopping experiences for customers. Technology companies are leading this shift. Therefore, who better to choose than Tomas Roope, Group Creative lead for Google Zoo, the tech giant’s think tank focusing on pushing the limits of creativity through technology, to be their first interview. The truly inspiring discussion revolved around artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality and the future of the creative industry through the lens of technology.
Google Zoo can use their access to data and in-house made tech to create solutions and make things more efficient for society. Connecting data and engineering with creatives, Roope explained Google Zoo as the combining of left and the right brain, or “Geekness to Chicness.”
What has Google Zoo created in terms of fashion-forward tech? Partnering with Ivyrevel Technology, they created #CodedCouture project which used innovative technology to create one-of-a-kind customized designs for users after tracking seven days of their life via a simple application download. The data dress is the final product and is completely tailored to the personality and lifestyle of the user with fashion and code working together seamlessly.
It was truly an enlightening discussion, inspiring us all of to think more about what technology can add to the future of fashion.
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- Jan 27, 2018
Updated: Jun 1, 2021
We are honoured to see our founder Karoline Gross listed as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Europe for the Media and Marketing category.
''They may be young, but they are ones for the ages. Our third annual 30 Under 30 Europe list features 300 young disruptors across a diverse list of categories, including entertainment, finance and technology. The honor roll includes a record number of 34 European countries, with entrepreneurs from places like Belarus and Kosovo for the first time. Our reporters vetted thousands of nominations and polled expert judges to compile the list and ensure that each member, whether a chart-topping musician or founder of a multi-million-dollar e-commerce company, is a leader in his or her industry.''
In the early days of developing the concept for Smartzer, Karoline was doing the MSc Technology Entrepreneurship degree at UCL. The Forbes 30 Under 30 list also included the alumni Chester Mojay-Sinclaire who founded Charity Checkout. You can read more in this article published by UCL School of Management.
It was also great to see another Hambro Perks portfolio company Vida founder Devika Wood included on the list.
Thank you for the additional mentions in Startups.co.uk, Kauppalehti, and Markkinointi & Mainonta in Finland.